Snow melting machine



Aprifi 1952 Filed Oct. 28, 1948 c. GANGEMI ElAL 2,52,27

SNOW MEL-TING MACHINE 2 SHEETS--SHEET '1 0 INVENTOR. far/722k? fanye/zzz 640 54/90/24,

ATI'D RN EYS IL 9 3952 c. SAN-GEM! ETAL SNOW MELTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1948 2 Sl-IEETS--SHEET 2 I NV EN TOR. firm? a 40 a},

Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED S TATES PATENT OFFICE sNoWMELTINGMAoHiNE 'Car'niine Gan'gefiii ami Rocco Gangemi,

never, N. a. Applicationbctober 28, are, :"seiiiINmt'iitfii e-oiaims. (01. 1 26- 34 35) :1 This invention relates to *a "snow-melting "machine.

'An object of the invention isto provideam'achine which will'continiiously receive-snow "and ice from the streets of municipalities and sutsequently melt and convert'the snowand ice to water which can be readily disposed of into sewers, to thereby eliminate the expense of trucking away the snow and ice to a remote place.

A further objectof'the invention is to provide a snow-meltingmachine which is' easy to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of'the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application. andin which like -numerals -''are employed to designate like parts throughout th'e'same:

' "Figure-l is a sectional -view"taken on theline ll of Figure 3;

Figure-'2' is a top plan viewof the snow-melting machine; 7

Figure 3 is-a horizontal sectional view of' the snow-melting machine;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

The snow-melting machine It of the present invention comprises a steel frame [8 supported on wheels I! and secured to the front end or the frame It is a drawbar I8 for connecting the snow-melting machine IE to the snow loader. A housing l9 fabricated of sheet steel is supported on the frame 16, and the housing is provided with a plurality of hingedly connected doors 20 for gaining access to the interior thereof for adlusting. servicing or lubricating the machine. Suitable catwalks 8 are arranged on each side of the housing l9 and a ladder 9 is provided for reaching the top of the housing. 7

Supported on the top of the housing I9 is a hopper 2| for receiving the snow and ice from the conveyor spout I4 and arranged below the hopper 2| is an ice breaker 22 for breaking the ice up into small pieces. The ice breaker 22 comprises a rotatable cylinder 22' provided with a plurality of picks 23, Figure 3, and the cylinder 22 is mounted on a shaft 24. For rotating the shaft 24, a pulley 25 is secured thereto, and a belt 26 is trained over the pulley 25 and over a pulley 21. The pulley 21 is rotated by a belt 28. Figure 2, which is driven by a suitable power unit. such as a gasoline engine 29. Suitable "into a 4 sewer, eat n basin or the like. The ov'en to is provided with a 'linin'g of arena-yea tliere bein'g a suitable layer of ihsulation 33 arr nged around the extener-oftne oven.

For heatihg-theoven 30;"a serv cemen sockets 34 8.1% 92rianged in each 'nd 76f the oven 3 0 "and supported in each of the sockets =34 is an intuned-torch '35 for' sh (Sting flames into-the o'ven. Each of the torches 35 'is cperatively connected by suitable conduits 3 6 to -a. tank 3 I -h'olding fuel oil, there be'ing -a pipe 38 p'r'ojecting upwardly Each "of the torches-35 is also connected bysuitable conduits 39 to a tank 40 holding compressed a'irtherein, the 'air for the tank 40 being supplied -by-a suitable air compressor which is driven. by

the gasoline engine 29. A fuel tank 44 having a filling line 42 is also provided for supplying fuel to the gasoline engine 29. Arranged in the oven 30 is an open-ended pipe 43 which is used for heating the bottom of the oven 30. The pipe 43 includes a horizontal section I which extends substantially across the oven, and a transverse section 2 projects from the horizontal section I. A straight portion 3 extends from the transverse portion 2, and a vertical portion 4 extends upwardly from the straight portion 3, there being a horizontal portion 5 arranged on the upper end of the vertical portion 4. the horizontal portion 5 being spaced below the hopper. An auxiliary torch 44 is connected to one end of the pipe 43 and is supported in a socket 45. The torch 44 is also connected to the fuel and airsupply tanks.

For discharging the water from the oven 30, a pair of drain pipes 48 and 41 communicate with the exterior of the oven. The pipes 48 and 41 terminate on the curb side of the snow-melting machine and are each provided with couplings 48 for quickly connecting a hose (not shown) to the pipes 46 and 41 so that the water can be conveyed to a sewer, catch basin, or the like. An additional pipe 49 is arranged above the pipes 46 and 41 and is connected to the oven 30 to serve as a safety drain pipe if needed.

In use, snow and ice is removed from the street and deposited in the hopper 2|. The snow and matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a snow melting machine, a wheeled frame, a housing supported on said frame, a hopper arranged on the top of said housing for the ingress therethrough of snow and ice, an ice breaker positioned below said hopper for breaking up said ice, means in said housing for melting and converting said snow and ice to water, said lastnamed means comprising an oven arranged in said housing for receiving the ice and snow from said breaker, a pair of sockets arranged in each end of said oven, a torch positioned in each of said sockets and supported by the latter for heating the oven, said oven being lined with fire clay, alayer of insulation arranged in surrounding relation with respect to said oven, an open-ended pipe arranged in said oven, and an auxiliary torch connected to one end of said pipe for supplying additional heat to said oven, said open-ended pipe including a horizontal section extending substantially across said oven, a transverse section projecting from said horizontal section, a straight portion extending from said transverse portion, a vertical portion extending upwardly from said straight portion, and

a horizontal portion arranged on the upper end of said vertical portion and spaced below said hopper.

2. In a snow-melting machine, a 'wheeled frame, a housing supported on said frame, a

each of said torches.

hopper arranged on top of said housing for the ingress therethrough of snow and ice, means in said housing for melting and converting said snow and ice to water, said means comprising an oven arranged in said housing for receiving the ice and snow from said hopper, a pair of sockets arranged in each end of said oven, a torch positioned in each of said sockets and supported by the latter for heating the oven, said oven being lined with fire clay, a layer of insulation arranged in surrounding relation with respect to said oven, an open-ended pipe arranged in said oven, an auxiliary torch connected to one end of said pipe for supplying additional heat to said oven, said pipe including a horizontal section extending substantially across said oven, a transverse section projecting from said horizontal section, a straight portion extending from said transverse portion, a vertical portion extending upwardly from said straight portion, and a horizontal portion arranged on the upper end of said vertical portion and spaced below said hopper, a fuel tank arranged in said housing and operatively connected to each of said torches for supplying fuel to the latter, and means arranged in said housing for supplying compressed air to CQARIVIINE GANGEMI. ROCCO GANGEMI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Powell Dec. 5, 1944 

